Nanometrics Wins 2009 R+D 100 Award

Nanometrics Incorporated
(Nasdaq:NANO), a leading supplier of advanced process control metrology
systems used primarily in the manufacturing of semiconductors, solar photovoltaics
and high-brightness LEDs as well as advanced wafer-scale packaging, announced
that it has been selected as a recipient of the 2009 R+D 100 Award for its
innovative Advanced Film Capability (AFC) technology incorporated in the UniFire
line of metrology systems.

The R+D 100 Award recognizes the 100 most technologically significant products
introduced the past year. Recipients of the annual R+D 100 Award are selected
by an independent judging panel and editors of R+D Magazine.

The AFC technology module enables measurement of thickness and optical properties
of the individual layers in complex film stacks for in-line process control
of semiconductor manufacturing. When incorporated as an option in the UniFire
7900, AFC combines high-precision film metrology with the industry’s smallest
metrology targets, thereby enabling direct sampling of relevant customer features/structures.

“The spectroscopic and small target capability of AFC is of interest
to a large number of customers in the semiconductor industry,” commented
Michael Darwin, Vice President of the UniFire Business Group at Nanometrics.
“In particular, when AFC is used with the UniFire’s state of the
art interferometry capability, our customers have a unique capability to measure
and combine film thickness with die level topography information for control
of advanced CMP, lithography, and etch processes in semiconductor manufacturing.”

Nanometrics is a leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of high-performance
process control metrology systems used primarily in the manufacturing of semiconductors,
advanced wafer-scale packaging, solar photovoltaics and high-brightness LEDs,
as well as by customers in the silicon wafer and data storage industries. Nanometrics
standalone and integrated metrology systems measure various thin film properties,
critical dimensions, overlay control, topography, and optical, electrical and
material properties, including the structural composition of silicon, compound
semiconductor and photovoltaic devices, during various steps of the manufacturing
process, from front end of line substrate manufacturing through die preparation
for advanced packaging. These systems enable device manufacturers to improve
yields, increase productivity and lower their manufacturing costs. The company
maintains its headquarters in Milpitas, California, with sales and service offices
worldwide. Nanometrics is traded on NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol NANO.

DR. Madeline J. Dukes, an Application Scientist from Protochips talks to AZoNano about their range of products, that are pushing the boundaries for laboratories who in the past where challenged when it came to in situ TEM tools.

SEM-Base® VI is considered to be the next generation in STACIS active piezoelectric vibration cancellation. The design of the SEM-Base VI allows it to support all commercial Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEMs), and also many Small Dual Beam and Focused Ion Beam (FIB) instruments.

The eLINE Plus from Raith is the optimum, extensively distributed system for Research Centers and Universities that want to integrate an Electron Beam Lithography system with an open platform for additional optional nanofabrication processes and methods in a single tool.

A Life Scientist wants to be able to see how biological materials look like at nanoscale resolution and how soft they are in buffer and liquid conditions. The Park NX-Bio enables that with its highly acclaimed Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) technology and its innovative in-liquid imaging Scanning Ion Conductance Microscopy (SICM).